welcome back to "newsline" i'm yuko aotani. the liberal carats ademocrats a choosing their next leader. watching the vote, she joins us live on the line. what can we expect to see.mayuko? >> 200 have gathered here.

they're voting on a successor to their leader. they have a choice among five candidates, ishiba, former chief of the party, and front-runner. he is running against high profile competitors. abe, former prime minister, and ishihara is the party secretary-general. both of them are expected to challenge, ishiba for the leadership. others are running. machimura is former chief cabinet secretary, and hayashi is acting chairman of the party research council. 198 lawmakers are casting their votes. local party members have 300 votes. public opinion polls suggest, liberal democrats are in a possession to defeat the ruling democrats in the next general election whenever that is called. the person who wins the race has a good chance to take over as

prime minister. one lawmaker i tacked to salked this is not just choosing head of the opposition party. lawmakers are choosing some one to lead the country. nhk analysis suggests no candidate will min a manhattwinn the first round. they will go head-to-head in a runoff. back to you, yuko. updating us on the voting in the coming hours. foreign ministers of japan and china have held talks to discuss a bitter row between the two countries. china and taiwan claim the territories as their only. talks took place in tuesday in new york on side lines of the u.n. general assembly. a one hour meeting with his chinese counterpart. gemba said both are responsible

for the peace and stability. he stressed importance of the two countries, maintaining communication and keeping a broader perspective. gemba referred to a series off takes by anti-japanese protesters on japanese companies in china. he said japan does not condone violence under any circumstances, and demanded chinese officials take appropriate measures. china's state run news agency reported on the talks. the agency quoted that nationalizing island was an so called it a challenge to international stability created after the end of world war ii. he went on to say, the chinese are offended by the act and the country will not tolerate it. both ministers agree off to continue talks on the issue. now, chinese fishermen, docked back in home ports, protesting against japan's purchase of the island. they entered japanese walteters

tuesday. 60 chinese fishing boats and patrol vessels sailed into the area. fishing boats returned to their ports. the crews were welcomed with fireworks. the area surrounding the islands is a traditional fishing ground and he said they were protecting their right to survive. the leader of, official, with japan's organization with taiwan. he met with the taiwan foreign minister, timothy young in taipei. explaining the purchase was aimed at stable control and management of the island. and reiterated the position. they faeld to agrae on a schedule for resuming talks on fishing rights. chinese commanders brought their first aircraft carrier into service in the midst of the dispute and made a public display of it.

the aircraft carrier is named and china bought the vessel from ukraine 14 years ago. ship builders refurbished it. and crews have run it through navigation trials since august of last year. wen said commissioning the aircraft carrier is an important step toward modernizing the navy and enhancing the country every overall strength. at least 20 workers have died in an accident at a coal mine inland china. the miners plunged to their deaths when a kaecable on a rai car snapped. the mine is in a city inland province. the country's state run television said 14 other workers were injured. the pit is 700 meters deep. the workers were returning to the surface when the accident happened. they were 80 meters below ground when the steel car pulling their cart suddenly broke.

the cart were overloaded. police are investigating the mine's safety procedures as part of their investigation. ban ki-moon, opened the u.n. meeting. he sounded the alarm about what he called the direction of the human family. >> my action agenda highlights five objectives. sustainable development, a secure world, helping transition, and empowering women and youth. ban expressed his concern about

the civil war in syria and shared frustrations about the widening gap between rich and poor in countries around the world. ban called on world leaders to, create policies that improve lives. he said people want to see results now not in the distant future. u.s. president barack obama challenged world leaders to stand up against violence against americans. he said his government had nothing to do with the film made in the u.s. that ridicules the prophet muhammad. >> i have made it clear that the united states government had nothing to do with this video. it is an insult not only to muslims but to america as well. that i witnessed after nearly four years as president, that i remain ever hopeful about the world that we live in. the war in iraq is over. american troops have come home. al qaeda has been weakened. and osama bin laden is no more. >> obama took the podium six weeks before the u.s.

presidential election. he spent much of his time defending his record on foreign policy. a british territory trying to highlight the suffering of children in syria's civil war. save the children says the violence is causing psychological damage. the charity released a video report to coincide with the start of the general assembly meeting. a spokesperson says many children have seen family members killed. the trauma made boys and girls overaggressive. some are injuring themselves. the spokesperson says children are being caught in the firing line. he says a school in the capital, damascus was bombed tuesday. the video shows children living in tents at a refugee camp in jordan and it highlights other challenges. >> they're even telling us of children being tortured in prison. little children. only 10 years old having their fingernails pulled out, fingers cut off. this is appalling. and it has to stop now. >> save the children is asking

world leaders to support syria's youth. several leaders have focused on the conflict in their talks. >> business sentiment among major japanese manufacturers is expected to worsen due to the effect of a global economic slowdown. 13 private research institutes gave their forecast ahead of the bank of japan's quarterly survey to be released on october 1. all 13 forecast decline in sentiment compared to the survey conducted three months ago. their predictions for the key index range from mean us 3 to minus 6. the average is minus 3.8. the figures are worse than the survey that came in minus 1. the expected decline in sentiment is due to sustained strong yen and the slowdown in china and countries. the downturn will adversely affect, japan's production and

exports. drop in sales is cited as another negative factor. looking ahead at the next three months. 11 of the 13 research institutes predict further deterioration. they say the globalic noming downturn will continue, cooling relations between japan and china are expected to have a negative impact on corporate activities. "the new york times" is to sell its jobs website to japan's leadilea leading job information firm, recruit. part of the u.s. newspaper's plan to carry out drastic restructuring. "the new york times" will sell off its website operating company. the website indeed.com introduces jobs available in more than 26 language as cross 50 countries. the newspaper company has been suffering from a decline in advertising revenue. this is due to the internet and sluggish u.s. economy. the firm has been taking various streamlining measures that

include cutting 2,000,000 jo jo. 10% of the work force. despite actions, the company posted a loss in first time in four quarters. "the new york times" decided to appoint bbc general director as its new top executive. he is nonto have improved the web services of the bbc is is expected to bolster the newspaper company's online businesses. british bankers association says it is willing to give up control over the libor bank rate. as it looks to prevent further rate rigging scandals. the association says libor is based on interest rates charged between banks in the london market. in june, major british bank, barclays was fined for manipulating libor through false reporting. a staement released tuesday

indicating they would transfer libor related to a public body. by making the announcement, the association is seen as trying to ease criticism about the way the rate has been handled over a quarter century. and the british government plans to publish a final report this month on huh to prevent further interest rate manipulation. libor could undergo major changes depending upon the outcome. now at a time when prospects of sovereign debt downgrades is striking fear into many nations. south korea gained upgrades. the united states, japan and spain have all had their ratings lowered in the last few years. in contrast, south korea's ratings have been consistently upgraded. why is it that they have been on the rise? even in the midst of the global economic slowdown?

nhk world's reporter spoke with an economist at korea economic research institute about the reasons and effects of these upgrade. >> higher financial market stability and strong consolidation are in the background of the korean economy. in addition, the lower geopolitical risk is the main reason. the political risk in korea is much lower than in january when north korea has power shift. south korea's export driven economy has been hurt by slowing global growth. the south korean government and international monetary fund, both recently cut their forecast for the country's gdp for this year. >> why are the rating agencies confident about south korea's capacity to repay its sovereign debt. >> i think the main point ills

the fiscal consolidation. as a result, in 2011. the government debt -- is only 34%. and the government fiscal deficit is only 1.1% of total gdp. which is just about 1/3 of averages. and i think this is why this credit rating agencies are so confident about the capacity of a korean economy to repay its sovereign debt. better debt ratings could make korean bonds look like a safe haven investment, encouraging in flow from overseas, and causing the yuan to appreciate. we asked how all this affects south korea's economy? we are expecting capital inflows

and falling appreciation in the near future which may hurt some exporting farms in korea. but i don't think this is going to be a fatal blow to the korean economy. instead in the long term. i think it will be much easier for korean firms to finance their projects in the international market. and so, this -- credit rating upgrade is kind of benefit to korean economy rather than a concern. >> a small firm in tokyo has built an eco friendly car that runs on both hydrogen and gasoline. the minivehicle was remodeled from the regular gasoline powered car. equipped with hydrogen tank, fuel injector and control mechanism for running on hydrogen and gasoline. hydrogen emits no carbon dioxide when burned as fuel. the car uses gas len for sudden acceleration. company officials say combination of the two fuels cut emissions by 75%.

the car can run 150 kilometers on one tank of hydrogen and 500 kilometers when gasoline is also used. at present it costs about $64,000 to remodel a regular car. but the company aims to cut the lost to less than 1/10 of the amount and begin mass production. the austerity protest, vie l violent in spain. at lest 14 people were injured. 23 arrested. thousand of demonstrators gathered near the parliament in madrid, they called on law makers to stop ignoring the people's voice. police tried to break up the crowds with batons. protesters responded by tearing down barricades and throwing rocks and bottles. the jobless rate in spain is nearly 25%. the government is proceeding with austerity measures that include consumption tax hike and wage cuts for civil servants.

harsher measures on the way. the government due to announce them thursday when it releases the budget for the next fiscal year. volunteer firemen from the evacuated district can't wait to return and get back on the job. but evacuation order is still in effect for the region, just 10 kilometers from fukushima's damaged nuclear power station. however, when the firefighters do return, they'll be prepared. nhk world's reporter has this story. as dawn breaks over the city, firefighters from nearby, practice one final time. they're about to take part in the skills competition in fukushima.

the head of the five-month squad. he operates the water and directs the other members, seeing to that they they put out blazes efficiently. it's stressful. but all i can do is my best. >> he goes the extra mile. not only for himself but also for his late mentor. he used to head the fire department. but on march 11th, 2011, the tsunami engulfed him while he was evacuating local residents. it was the team who discovered the body the next day. we placed his body on the back of a nepickup truck. i did the driving. we laid him on a futon. >> and he had to operate the pumps.

especially making fine adjustments to the water pressure. >> he was very passionpassionat. he told me to practice hard if i was willing. but he also told me to get home if i wasn't up for it. on the eve of the competition, honora and other members, visit the district. >> this is exactly where we found the body. the tsunami swept away many houses and many people in the area. the disaster scenery mains untouched. even though 1 1/2 years have gone by. the fire department paid their respects at the grave. and asked for his support in the competition.

the tournament finally gets under way. teams win points by quickly knocking down their target and moving with precision. with instructions in mind. they direct the other members. at the same time. he pays careful attention to the water pressure. of the 14 companies that took part. only the squad came in eighth. the result is impressive when you kid the team's evacuation sites are located so far apart.

practiced hard and gave 100%. i hope this experience helps bring us even closer together. the fire department showed their late fire chief what they can do. now they are determined to excel protecting residents once everyone returns. they're not the prettiest of creatures but they attract a lot of attention. tasmanian devils are in danger of extinction because of deadly cancer. that explains the delight of a breeding facility in australia which has taken delivery of 40 babies. the babies are born in april at a sanctuary in eastern

australia. the tasmanian devil is like the kangaroo. they grow in their mother's pouch. they measure 30 centimeters and weigh a kilogram. staff at the facility say 40 new arrivals will sustain the endangered animal. >> we are hoping to house 1,000 individuals in total. if we can house 1,000,0 it shou get us on wait to establish a them in the wild. a facial tumor disease. a drop of 90% since 1996. now, a typhoon continues to affect people in the philippines. let's turn to sayaka mori for latest. >> you can see cylindrical clouds. a typhoon. sustain wind, nearly 200 kilometers an hour.

with much, much higher gusts. as it moves over the warm hours it could intensify even further. it could move through the northern island, of the philippines, by friday local time as a violent typhoon. head towards taiwan or the islands afterwards. rainfall could be significant because, it will continue to move, at a snail's pace. we anticipating about 350 millimeters of ran to fall. over the next 72 hours or so. enough to cause flooding or landslide. thursday, heavy rain will pound eastern taiwan in the southern islands of japan. flooding is going to be a concern. then we have another tropical activity. this is tropical storm, located 200 kilometers south of the islands. stormy conditions are already occurring in the islands. about, 130 millimeters of ran has been recorded over the past 24 hours. and of course, as the system approaches, stormier conditions

are possible. don't think it will make landfallen central japan. but it could become a typhoon by friday. that could activate the seasonal photo eye, and that will, lie over central japan from tomorrow. so, heavy rain is on the cards for thursday, into friday, central japan including tokyo area. but for today, looking dry, nice clear, autumn skies. for much the country. moving into the americas then. hurricane miriam through west of mexico is weakening. it's now a category i storm, will likely become a tropical storm, within the next 24 hours. good news, it will take more westerly track than we regionally thought. so, it is not going to make landfall in the baja california peninsula. swells and increasing showers are possible. in the baja and parts of western mexico over the next several days. all right, finally. let's go over to europe. then a large and strong low pressure system has been bringing stormy weather, in the

western parts of europe. the british isles have been experiencing the worst of it. floods and landslide have been reported. and the storm has also caused an impressive phenomenon in scotland. let's take a look at video from scotland. it may look like christmas has come early to northeastern scotland. this isn't snow at all. sea foam was carried on to land from the north sea to cover roads and houses because of gale force wind. sea foam produced by salt water churned by various organic material. so it is generally not hazardous to humans. very incredible video it is. weatherwise. things are looking quieter across the northern half of the british isles. but as the you can see another system will be moving into the similar area. things will turn quite wet and windy once again from thursday. london is expected to see a high of -- about 15 degrees on your

wednesday. still on the cooler side. 18 degrees in pair ilris. out east. summerlike conditions in the balkan. 35 in athens. 30 in belgrade. it will be rising to 34 degrees as we head into your thursday. here is your extended forecast. ♪ ♪

our top story once again. members of japan's largest opposition party are voting to elect their new leader. the outcome could determine who will be japan's next prime minister. five candidates vying for the leadership of the liberal democratic party, former policy chief, ishiba, and prime m minister, abe, and ishihara. 198 lawmakers, are casting their ballots and local party members have 300 votes. if no candidate wins the majority in the first round, the top two vote getters will go to a run-off. public opinion polls suggest the party is in good position to defeat the ruling democrats in the next general election. that's all for now on this edition of "newsline."

i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. we will be back with at the top of the hour. do join us then. thank you very much for watching.